A user equipment (UE) is able to connect to a mobile communications network to perform communications. A mobile communications network is made up of cells that correspond to respective regions in which UEs are able to establish communications with the mobile communications network. In attempting to attach to a cell, a UE monitors system information that is broadcast by the mobile communications network, and in particular, from a wireless access network node (or multiple wireless access network nodes) of the mobile communications network. A wireless access network node is a node of the mobile communications network that is capable of performing wireless communications with UEs. System information includes various information about the mobile communications network and cells.
System information broadcast to UEs includes messages referred to as system information blocks (SIBs) that contain system information elements. There can be various different types of SIBs for carrying different system information.
System information also includes a master information block (MIB), which includes information related to other SIBs. The information relating to other SIBs contained in the MIB includes information referencing the other SIBs as well as scheduling information pertaining to the other SIBs. A UE first reads the information elements of the MIB to allow the UE to read the information elements of the other SIBs.
In some cases, an MIB can also contain information relating to one or more scheduling blocks (SBs), which provide references and scheduling information for additional SIBs (in addition to the SIBs referenced by the MIB).